Month: January 2015

Each of us plays a variety of roles in the local economy. We are both producers and consumers, and the relationships are many and ever-changing. Understanding our local and regional economies can be challenging, but a Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E) program can help.

Since its inception at OSU in the mid-80’s, the Ohio BR&E program has spread throughout the U.S. and the world as a core economic development strategy. Program curriculum has been delivered or shared as far away as Guam, Macedonia and Ukraine; and most recently in New York, South Dakota and Florida.

Extension CD faculty Nancy Bowen, David Civittolo and Joe Lucente took it on the road again, this time to Indiana, delivering a two-day train-the-trainer program at Purdue University on January 22-23. Seventeen new regional CD Specialists and Educators from throughout Indiana learned the nuts and bolts of the BR&E curriculum and new “Targeted BR&E” program. This training effort and resulting community programs in Indiana are being supported by a North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) “Interstate” grant of $5,000.

As part of the “Interstate Grant”, Purdue will be delivering Ohio’s BR&E curriculum as part of a new program being launched in collaboration with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, titled the Hometown Collaboration Initiative (HCI). Five communities will be selected to be part of the HCI effort in 2015, with the BR&E program being a major component.

Since 1990, the Ohio BR&E program has been delivered in 80 of Ohio’s 88 counties and 155 communities; helping local officials and residents learn what can be done to help existing businesses and informing better decisions. The Ohio BR&E Program website, including BR&E materials, can be found at: go.osu.edu/BRnE.

It is something that we’ve all seen before. Some downtowns seem vibrant and full of life while others appear to be struggling to hold on. But why? In the United States, over 10 percent of all employed persons (more than 15 million people) are employed in the retail sector. In Ohio alone, over 650,000. While these employees provide a valuable service in retailing (who doesn’t like the hardware, bakery or jewelry stores?), the effects that a healthy retail sector can have on a community are immeasurable. So, what makes them work? We can learn more about this sector of a community’s economy via a Retail Market Analysis study.

What is Retail Market Analysis Program?

Retail market analysis is a tool for identifying retail market trends within a local community. While the analysis focuses specifically on the performance of local retail markets, information on the broader demographic and economic trends within the region is critical to understanding current and future changes in these retail markets. Changes in population, the age and income distributions of the population and the number of people employed by different industrial sectors affect the demand for retail goods within a local community. They are critical factors to be considered in such analyses.

Also important is understanding of the pattern of retail spending within a local community relative to spending in neighboring areas. A sales leakage could indicate that the local demand for a particular product is not being met within the local community, whereas sales surpluses may explain how a local community serves a regional market that actually pulls shoppers in from outside the local area. (How many of us drive some distance to purchase specific items?) Such surplus/leakage estimates provides a means to identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of an area’s retail markets and inform economic development strategies for local communities. A retail market analysis is not a detailed plan of action, but rather provides facts and analysis for input into the community’s decision-making process about future economic development. And whether your retail sector seems vibrant and full of life or is simply struggling to hold on, informed decision making is critical.

To learn more about Extension’s Retail Market Analysis program, contact:

David Civittolo (Associate Professor and Field Specialist, Community Economics)

Nancy Bowen (Associate Professor and Field Specialist, Community Economics)

(Submitted by David Civittolo, Associate Professor and Field Specialist, Community Economics)

In today’s world, where any question or problem can be answered by a 0.5 second Google search, it can be easy to get caught up in an information overload and difficult to separate fact from fiction. Truly now, more than ever, I argue that sources of knowledge are needed. Providing unbiased, factual information that is relevant to our stakeholders is the core mission of Ohio State University Extension and Ohio Sea Grant. This is the value and impact that an Extension program can provide.

There are often times when our opinions or foundational knowledge on a topic may be challenged – in conversations with friends, colleagues or family. During these times, I encourage you to utilize your local Extension Educator – we are here to help tackle some of the most difficult topics with factual information, to enable you to make an informed decision.

In Ohio Sea Grant, we focus our knowledge on understanding our Great Lakes water resources and the challenges that come with managing these resources. We have an uphill battle against misconceptions on everything from climate change to zebra mussels, but we fight this battle with the most valuable weapon – knowledge. Our knowledge comes from working with researchers to fully understand an issue and the science behind that issue, and our expertise is in communicating that science-based information in an easy-to-understand format through education and outreach.

Photo credit: Ohio Sea Grant

Below are just a few examples of ways to access some of Ohio Sea Grant’s science-based, unbiased sources of information:

In 2015, I challenge you to think about where your information comes from, and, if you question its validity – to reach out to those sources of credible information, such as Ohio Sea Grant and OSU Extension, to build your knowledge around a topic. As they say, knowledge is power!

How do we achieve excellence? We understand what to do and who to engage and we commit ourselves to doing it better than the last time. High-performing Extension professionals also understand the value of collaboration and the critical role that working with others plays in the pursuit of excellence.

Whether formally or informally, when we take the opportunity to recognize excellence, it can be multiplied. In addition to being a fantastic 100th anniversary party, the 2014 Extension Annual Conference enabled us to cultivate continued excellence when dozens of Extension professionals were recognized for their accomplishments. There were a number of CD professionals recognized at the event as well, including our 2014 Excellence in Community Development awardee (Nancy Bowen) and our 2014 Friend of CD awardee (Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts), a collaborator in programmatic excellence since 2008.

Click here to read more about the 2014 Friend of CD and Excellence in Community Development awardees, as well as a number of other CD professionals recognized for excellence.

If you have trouble accessing this page and need to request an alternate format, contact u@osu.edu

The content of this site is published by the site owner(s) and is not a statement of advice, opinion, or information pertaining to The Ohio State University. Neither text, nor links to other websites, is reviewed or endorsed by The Ohio State University.